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An amazing recorded and live music event was had this last weekend (June 23 – 25) over at ImprovFriday, the new music social community on the Ning network. The ‘thread event’ as it’s come to be known saw the creation of 43 new musical works by 25 regularly contributing ImprovFriday member artists and 4 live streaming video concerts by 5 member artists. With this WhatsNewAtImprovFriday edition I join Paul in doing some review commentary of the weekends event. In addition we are pleased to have guest commentary by fellow ImprovFriday member artist Chris Vaisvil.

First Paul’s comments…

As in weeks past, I’ve let the random number generator pick some of the pieces posted this week. Lots of good things to hear!

Steve Layton - Playing Monomaze – Strong opening – almost Moshier-like – and then a sudden switch to something quiet and subdued. Now a definite beat and electronica at 1:00. Shots, explosions – game-like in a way; more JP Kervinen influence here. A convincing game track.

Shane W. Cadman – Piece062411 – Lovely clarinet playing here – seems to rise out of the tuning of the band. Some beautiful passage work. Dark, mysterious – like being deep in the woods at night. Well crafted.

Adam Kondor – BeginningOfTheEnd – All the way from Thailand, Adam is writing for a woodwind ensemble consisting of piccolo, oboe and clarinets. Agile, bright sounds with darting movement and lots of fast runs and trills. This will be a good workout for the players! Lots and lots of what woodwinds do best. Interesting harmonies and texture. A work in progress, according to Adam.

Steve Moshier – Glass Blizzard – Very evocative title. High-pitched shards of sound but surrounded by warm moving tones and some gentle clanking. Fairly tame for a Moshier – maybe next time we will get ‘Glass Storm’ :)

Joel Sutton – Escape by Train – Short staccato bursts – like telegraph code, accompanied by soft strings and a booming bass. At 1:50 the telegraph doubles in speed, then returns to its original rate. A sort of tension here – like we are waiting for the last train out. Intriguing.

Steve Moyes – Ducktrain – Sounds more like a train than a duck… Nice chimes. Announcements, talking – a busy place! Now a clarinet – the train seems to be moving. Is that a duck call at 2:30? More clarinet, voices – a strange trip!

Peter Thörn – The Joy Of Travelling – Airport announcements – now I’m thinking there might be a bit of sarcasm in the title… Point taken!

Norbert Oldani – Passacaglia #1 – Soft, gentle tones that drop off suddenly into distortion, then recur in a sort of pattern. Goes through a series of registers and various processing levels. A sort of ‘circle of fifths’ but in different tuning schemes, I think. Instructive of the possibilities.

Jim Goodin – Trains (Soliloquy for Steve Moyes) – Love those violin loops! A solitary sound, despite the several layers – the texture is consistant and in keeping with the title. A feeling of stasis – waiting for a coming train, perhaps. Restful and introspective, even a bit mournful – tried stretching a piece of this for a mix this week.

Kavin Allenson – Slojourn – High plains music – you can feel the sky and endless horizon. Evocative and reflective.

Chris Vaisvil – Seeing the Doctor – The voice of a hypnotist – we are learning how to relax. Some ominous music builds underneath. At 4:30 the voice becomes fully electronic and a steady beat builds. At 5:00 we have vocal singing added. By 6:00 it is straight-ahead with guitar and by 11:00 we are in full game mode. A sense of being under anesthesia, I think. Quite a trip – I’d hate to see the bill!

Some Non-Random Thoughts – Thanks to Jeff Duke, Jim Goodin, Jukka-Pekka Kervinen and Steve Moyes for playing live for us this week – great job as always! Congratulations to Steve Layton on his successful escape from Florida to Dallas. Good to see Adam Kondor and Ken Palmer back among us. Congratulations to Peter Thorn on his new album ‘In Touch’ on Alonetone. If you are releasing a CD collection be sure to let us know! Thanks to everyone who contributed to the ImprovFriday Fund Raiser last week – we have made our goal and will be able to pay ning fees for 2012. Looking forward to a long weekend here in the US so bring your best to us next week!

Bruce Hamilton, Jon Bash, Kramer Elwell, Austin Richey, Todd Smith, Jordan Watsonmind-melds improv excerpt => sounds very advant guarde – which is great in my book!mind-melds excerpt 2 => much of the same but the opening sound slike it is occuring at a carnival.

Richard SandersonPivothowl => hard to say what I think of this because it is so far off the
beaten path – but in a good way. Is that guitar feedback – or are you makng your water pipes sing?Trickleglint => mad accordian?

Kavin AllensonHead West => this is really great! I love the very classic slide sound you
have here and the piece is very bluesy cool.624Anum (feat. Chris Vaisvil) => thanks for adding me!Slojourn => Nice combination of textures here. Is that violin over the guitar? Later on it sound like a ebow – I presume a looper composition.IF624262010 (is this a unique piece or a part of soljourn?)

Roger Sundstrom – Hy Slojourn (Feat. Jeff Duke & Jim Goodin, Jeff Fairbanks, Hussam Jefee, Kavin Allenson) – Improvouting (Feat. Jérôme Poirier, Adam Kondor, Benjamin Smith) – Both wonderful evolving scapes like journeys through time, passages. Hy weaves from playful to solitary from circus to haunt. Improvouting grooves from lyrical exploring to wandering through an arcade near the boardwalk as a storm approaches. Great to have Adam return who is in this mash/mix.

Peter Thörn – The Joy of Traveling – The sense of being in Europe to an American who has never seen the continent, the sense of the travel the sense of confusion, the sense of commentary, all an interesting stretch of moment in the life aural snapshot of being in a traveling place and yikes our car might get towed! Nice environmental Peter.

Benjamin Smith – Ben.improv.Jun.23.2011 – pensive at first like dropping random yellow pigment on to the canvas as the pressure and intensity grow on the keys. Bartok grows to processed layerings of argeggiated lines and intense pounding clusters to maddening repetitive to stellar early morning quiet and the birds outside my window.

Kavin Allenson – Head West – Kavin okay this one is on the money man, love it, you’re always on the money but this one is okay on the money. Resaonator or close, slippery slopes and the blues seeping out of the Mississippi or Rio Grande. Congrats on the ‘Best Guitarist’ category Kavin.

Steve Moyes – Ducktrain – Inventive scape between the solitary reflective mournful zaphoon and the feeling of so many in a small space, traveling through memories, seeing Jude and Richard live on the stage finding the joy in the tragedy.

Bruce Hamilton – mind-melds – improv excerpt featuring Bruce Hamilton, Jon Bash, Kramer Elwell, Austin Richey, Todd Smith and Jordan Watson. In preparation for a performance an alchemy of ideas emerge. Structure with freedom launches new vision. Reminds of Lee Noyes a bit Bruce. mind-melds excerpt 2 – A briefer statement from the same pre-performance session, ideas are jelling. Great mix of percussion and ice like tones like weaving through a clock shop, growing density in this. Like to hear the final on Sunday.

Ken Palmer – Imagination – Welcome back Ken! Man there is so much subtly in your work, particularly here. The clanging percussion like wind chime sounds floating over musicians wandering and settling in to an orchestra warming up. Spontaneous tuba sounds are the glue that binds in this.

Richard Sanderson – Trickleglint – Preparation of ideas, subtle tones and percussive hits as if playing a marimba with the hands. Your title reminds me of Robin Williamson for some reason.

Shane W. Cadman – Piece062411 – Lots of mysterious color in this Shane. Impressive for junior high clarinet player(s), lovely color. I’m playing a bit these days after years of not, lots of great intrigue in the reedal tones as are rising here.

Hussam Jefee – A State of Contemplation – Reflective blend of hand percussion, our and harmonic which drifts off nicely in the piece’s close. Hussam your our sound has a lovely authentic traditional indigenous sound.

Adam Kondor – Beginning of the End – Wow traveling in Thailand which I hope was wonderful Adam, I’ve often hoped to travel through South East Asia, but equally so we’ve missed you, great to have you back. Brings to mind Paul Hertz in these lines in your piece who we’ve not heard from in some time as well. Also feels delicate and takes on some of your ‘traveling’ influence from Thailand maybe. Welcome home and ‘home’ here in IF Adam.

Steve Moshier – Glass Blizzard – Steve you have these cool sounds that you use throughout all the work I’ve heard you do, they are haunting and ghostlike, darting in and out in character, no less in Glass Blizzard and captures the sense of crystalline clear glass, as if sliding about in sock feet.

Joel Sutton – Escape by Train – Traveling west as in looking for gold in another time. I hear the sound of geiger counters seeking signs of mineral deposits. Perhaps we are in a mine descending down perhaps we are on the moon, looking for lunar treasure. Nice feeling Joel.

Thai Electric by Adam Kondor

Jeff Fairbanks – hy – Jeff you can’t write sad man, your pieces sound so darn happy and playful and that’s wonderful. Slightly novelty at times but joyfully with a big old smile as in this piece, sounds like we’re just off on a splendid adventure somewhere, full of all the good things. Cool beat and color.

Steve Layton – Playing Monomaze – On leaving Florida perhaps. Nice explosive hits in this circled with sparkling synth cymbal like splashes indicating anticipating summer rains breaking the heat of west Texas. Maybe this piece has nothing to do with any of this but it’s cool and wishing you and the misses best in the new home of Dallas Steve.

Jerome Poririer – #00CED1 – catchy title Jerome, dig it! Nice exploratory solo bass work, jacoesque clusters and tight twisted like notes at times. Would be cool to see you and Gerald take something like this and improvise off each other, would dig it. I like dig it.

Paul Muller – High Plains Soliloquy – As the plains stretch across the heartland and the huge skies about so as a manipulated interpretation of my piece Trains (soliloquy for Steve Moyes) by Paul.

For Paul and I thanks for checking out this edition of WhatsNewAtImprovFriday with a rundown on the recent ImprovFriday music event. Remember to check out the ImprovFriday Radio Podcast series, member artist releases and all the goings-on on the ImprovFriday website where you can join us as either participating musician or listener. Special thanks to all the member artists who joined in the recent fundraiser to raise support for the upcoming year’s hosting services. Thanks to you we as a community have met the hosting fees for our ‘home’ for the next year, yey folks!

ImprovFriday is an online experimental music community where each Thursday afternoon through Saturday night at 10:00 EST, 20-30 musical artists from around the world gather to celebrate their muse and music by publishing one to several pieces to the ImprovFriday site for public listening and further input by artists within the community.

This is just a sampling of the wonderful work created over the weekend. Come check out the complete thread of New Music at http://improvfriday.ning.com.

In addition to the recorded work ImprovFriday hosted two live video webcast concerts on Saturday (January 29, 2011), Rainer Straschill and Stephen Goodman. ImprovFriday will be hosting more live events in the coming weeks so do check the website for schedule updates and consider joining the ImprovFriday community and receive regular email notices.

A closing note, from all at the ImprovFriday community we want to acknowledge and express our sadness but tremendous thankfulness to the ‘life in music’ given by Milton Byron Babbit who passed away on Saturday, January 29, 2011, at the age of 94. Babbitt was particularly noted for his interest and work in serial and electronic composition. Babbitt became interested early on in the Second Viennese School of music composition led by Arnold Schoenberg. In 1958, Babbitt achieved unsought notoriety through an article in the popular magazine High Fidelity (Babbitt 1958). His title for the article, “The Composer as Specialist”, was changed, without his knowledge or consent, to “Who Cares if You Listen?” More than 30 years later, he commented that, because of that “offensively vulgar title”, he was “still … far more likely to be known as the author of ‘Who Cares if You Listen?’ than as the composer of music to which you may or may not care to listen” (Babbitt 1991, 17). For more on the life of Milton Babbitt visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milton_Babbitt.

This is last minute but in about half an hour Jeff Duke, experimental guitarist/looper/texturalist, will be broadcasting live on ImprovFriday at 9:30 EST / 6:30 PST. Jeff’s show can be seen at http://improvfriday.ning.com.

And here we go with another Whats New at ImprovFriday for a look back at the music, images and thoughts (wha…) produced during and around the ImprovFriday thread event, September 30 to October 2.

This blog serves as information and artist feedback about the experimental music community on the Ning network known as ImprovFriday[henceforth IF]. WhatsNewAtImProvFriday is produced by Paul Muller and myself [ Jim Goodin] both members of IF.

This is rather a sparse version of WhatsNewAtImProvFriday and is me solo this time (Paul was understandably overextended and will return) but is a unique document in unto itself as I am continuing to experiment with the format as I began doing last post. In the big ‘picture’, as often said, it’s all good. In a sense the purpose of this blog is becoming more to exhibit the creativity and spirit of IF in a range of content from our initial stage of spontaneous reviews and commentary to something more. So please go with me as I’m not sure what that is right now as I ‘improvise’ on the subject of ImprovFriday.

So with this edition of WhatsNewAtImProvFriday we’ll have a few reviews that I put together this time, images of the work of IF contributing photographers as noted in the captions and some lose thoughts inspired by email exchanges I had the last few days with fellow IFer’s.

Along the Way by Michael Mjollnir

“Something about that scene called to me. To me I see a scar on the landscape, which is sad, nature reaching back over the artificial bounds imposed by man and making that scar more attractive, and romance of the rails. It makes me want to ramble for a while :). I feel that call of the road like I feel when I’m riding my motorcycle… I think it is the simplicity which lasts those emotions come through.” – Michael Mjollnir.

Thoughts on To Compose, Composer, Composed…?

A dialog came in a discussion generated by me with lot’s of good response by Bruce Hamilton, J.C. Combs, Steve Layton and Paul, about how ‘we’ the member musicians of IF or really it was more in general such as how do you as an artist view yourself, are you a composer or improvisor or the canvas or is there no difference, no reason for boundaries either way?

For me with a history in different ways of working musically I’ve felt that in the traditional sense early on I was a composer of music that was indeed noted out, written down and thought out. In recent years I’ve felt what I personally do has been more spontaneous, impulsive, emotive and to me, unclear whether that qualifies as ‘composition’. Ideas generated from the email thread were, does the process qualify whether you are a composer or not, as all musicians create/make-up connected sounds, pitches, notes what we would call melody or song but yet they may not be able to ‘write it down’ or read back what was written down for them. As a neighbor once called himself, a ‘hummer’ which I’ve also heard that said of Randy Newman. So in a sense I’m either a simpleton or answering my own question (grins), perhaps both. And as I think about this it can be taken another step to another time where musicians didn’t have the possibility to electronically capture their work, at those times as history reveals musical form was expressed in notation, tablature or even as simple as a number system akin to what some musicians in Nashville in modern times have used, the ‘Nashville number system‘.

Devils advocate to myself, goes to looking at my thoughts about improvisation and is that composition and yet when one looks back at a recording of Charlie Parker improvisation as was pointed out to me in the email exchange, or even an Appalachian fiddle tune, was it not composed even though it was an emotional response. With the secondary that’s a whole another thing with work that is passed down through generations by the older fellows playing the tunes that their fathers and grandfathers played for them and in turn they are doing for the next generation. Yes challenging my question, all this a paradox and the casual observer would say, er go all forms of music ‘composed’. Ah drivel and poppy dash….

Two Tone by Jim Goodin

Lee Noyes

JPK’s ‘Bleep Hertz’ Rendered for Percussion – Space and sparse organic emotives, drumbeats, enviorn beats from the continued exploring muse from Lee. Neat panning in the final percussive sounds. The Bleep Hertz series introduced a thread back by Lee and Jukka, is a sound/musical/tonal response by each artist from graphical scores.

Michael Mjollnir

Traffic Ahead – Waiting, tension, suburban flight, escape, driving out, thank goodness it’s not August. Our culture drawn from our rural world to the city to make the daily bread. Heading home at last. Nice ‘free’ guitar brings it all together near close.

Welcome Home – Wow Johnny and Faith you guys are really in Johnny and Faith land population two, one but thank god for that. You bring a sense of never knowing what to expect as well as fun as well as not taking yourselves(?) too seriously or perhaps you do, thankfully. Like the narrative throughout this one.

J.C. Combs

Damn You – Warhol Meets Campbells Soup – Worth the price of admission this week J.C.! This one really excellent and almost the wonderful equivalent to ‘Joe You want Chocolate’. Love the whole dialog with the vendor(?).

Tom Izzo

Night Music – Radioactive. Neat sounds of an electronic journey kind of like in a swamp of electronics and yet highly organic. I sense the sounds and sights in the trees. Cool scape Tom.

Kal (floor space) – Love this Bruce, the stellar strings and slight tonal mod going on I think. It does indeed feel like a noise floor or floor space or something floating from room to room.

Norbert Oldani

Piano Improvisation 9/28/2010 – Somewhere between George Winston in December and Bill Evans at Town Hall we’re getting to experience some really nice tones from Professor Oldani. Dig It Norbert, keep sharing this part of you.

Kavin Allenson

Alcohol Outlaws – What can I say, really takes me back to rural Arkansas on a Friday night here. Stock cars and lot’s of piss and vinegar going on. Excellent document Kavin over contrasting beats.

Riverboat – On some level I was looking for the soul of Johnny Hartford in this piece and in a strange way I think I found him but in a much more modern sense. Steve gives us a very soulful flowing vibe down the Mississippi on a cool summer evening as the mist is rising and the June bugs are popping. I can’t think of a riverboat and the deep south I grew up in without thinking of Hartford who was such a musician immersed in times gone by.

Traffic Series by Jim Goodin

Adam Kondor

Adam did a pile of work this week as he does every week, a very prolific guy amongst us at IF but in a sense tipping the hat to us all, we all are if I may be so bold and probably a bit self-righteous. In his volume were 7 pieces inspired by Anthony Braxton. One of them, F (from 7 Statements to Anthony Braxton) – Pensive, rhythmic, pulsing strings. This whole series a pulsing homage to Anthony. Good work Adam.

Arcus Temporum – Featuring Richard Lainhart, Paul Hertz, Steve Layton, Jérôme Poirier and Adam Kondor (contributing artist/mixer/masher) – Lots of Stellarness and Lee Noyes influences going on here. Real patience and beauty in your mashes this week Adam. This patience factor in composition I notice in several here and myself can learn by that. Perhaps an article coming on that… Like Jerome’s rising ‘voice’ in this near end.

Okay that’s a quick one this week for WhatsNewAtImProvFriday with a lot of different directions/thoughts. There was so much wonderful work produced by all the tremendously loyal artists who show up each weekend to bear their hearts and souls on the the virtual ground of IF. I in no way did justice this week nor intended to single out but I scatter shot grabbed what I could and spruced in a range of ideas this time. That all said please check out the complete archive of all work produced during the September 30 to October 2 IF thread.

Well our podcast series which is just a wonderful 30-45ish minutes of thought-provoking and New Musically entertaining work is alive and well on Podomatic.com at ImprovFridayRadio.podomatic.com but we/I are behind in production with a new episode which when it arrives will be a wonderful interview with IF member artist Steve Moyes, I promise. In the meantime please check out Paul’s fine episode featuring the mix/mash work of IF member artists, Adam Kondor, Bruce Hamilton and J.C. Combs. You may also search out the ImprovFriday Radio podcast series in iTunes by searching, ‘ImprovFriday Radio’.

So I am off to California in a few days if the rains and what other things global warming may bring upon Brooklyn as I try to fly west on Friday for a real treat, the Y2KX International Live Looping Festival, held where all things ‘loop’ in Santa Cruz, CA (surrounding festival shows also in San Jose and San Francisco). This wonderful event culminating over the week/weekend of October 13 – 18 is the loveingly produced work of major live looping innovator, Rick Walker. In addition to enjoying 3 days of the festival this weekend, I’ll be appearing in performance Sunday, October 17th, at 5pm, with the World experimental acoustic guitar/cassette tape looping duo Chinapainting featuring Daryl Shawn and myself. Should you be in the northern California vacinity please check out the Y2KX International Live Looping Festival in performances October 13 – 18, in Santa Cruz, San Jose and San Francisco, CA. Have a great week and Paul and I will see you next time for another WhatsNewAtImProvFriday blog!

Well I know September 16 seems like a long time ago now but it’s been a long week plus, however neither long hours or other distractions will deter the publishing of WhatsNewAtImProvFriday!

So here we are Paul Muller and myself (Jim Goodin), back with a review of the fabulous mind bending experimental New Music musical tones and environmental soundscapes created by the ImprovFriday member artists the weekend of September 16 – 18. Lots of good stuff so without further rambling, roll the film as they say… well one more thing this week I’m adding several images created by Kavin Allenson, James Ross, David John Baer McNicholas, Michael Mjollnir, Adam Kondor, Paul and myself. Now on with WhatsNew.

Journey by Michael Mjollnir

Michael Mjollnir

Lightbringer – Featuring Paul Muller, Shane Cadman, and Roger “Erocnet” Sundstrom and Michael Mjollnir (contributing artist/mixer/masher) – Cool growing vibe in this mash that reminds me of early U2 of all things at times. The organ patch weaves strongly throughout. Glad you are getting quite at ‘home’ here Michael. – Jim. Strong, steady opening beat – good colors layered above the rhythmic foundation. The pipe organ sneaks up into the texture and makes a nice counterpoint to the bass. At 3:00 we get a lightening of the upper layers. Well crafted. – Paul.

Bore #4 – Featuring Jim Goodin, Roger Sundstrom, Steve Moyes and Michael Mjollnir (contributing artist/mixer/masher) – As Michael was kind enough to work me into the center of this piece I shouldn’t comment too much other than to say there’s some really cool sounds circling around from Roger and Steve and Michael. Has a great urban sense to me and a feeling many cultures in kind of a LA scene (whatttt!… well lots of color here for sure). – Jim.

Tom IzzoAmber In Red – Really pretty Tom and I think I should say welcome, you are new no? Or perhaps returning to IF. Regardless this reminds me of a feeling of Tim Story’s wonderful early pieces on Windham Hill that were ‘Windham Hill’ but filled with mystery. Really lovely colors, ambers, reds…. – Jim. Solitary piano notes against a beautiful ambient background. Quiet reflective mood, almost somber. Good balance between the parts – nice mixing! Good to have Tom back with us. – Paul.

Jeff DukeWind – Very much like some wind chimes I fall in love with at a pottery store in ‘downeast’ Maine. Lovely ‘un-guitar’ Jeff. – Jim. Lovely guitar playing against a lush, warm background. Jeff has been listening to James Ross! Phasing effect at 3:00 is very effective. This one is working in all registers – a really beautiful piece. – Paul.

Water – I think the most amazing thing about Jeff’s music and this piece speaks of it is that though it sounds synthetic it’s all guitar driven and to my knowledge it’s pedals, loops and not a ‘synth on it’ meaning all organic. This piece as said no less. As the title suggests, ‘Water’. Like a pool where drops have fallen and are dispersing out in circular ripples to the shore. – Jim.

Kenneth PalmerStuck In A Box – Kenneth on the contrary you have gotten ‘out’ of the box in this piece. Very different vibe and textures which is not to min the lovely piano/orchestration pieces you’ve been crafting at IF but this is a nice departure. Neat mystery in this piece. Keep exploring it. – Jim. Interesting orchestration – a sort of Jukka-Pekka meets Adam. Beautiful low clarinet throughout. A series of fast electronic sounds play against the quiet, restful background – nice contrast in textures there. Ken is absorbing some of the IF styles! – Paul.

James Ross - Live at Goodbye Blue Monday by Jim Goodin

James RossFlock – Birds flying south and angels welcoming. We could be a floating bottle with a note about all the things my father once said he wanted to tell me one day and never did. This one really hangs. Visions of Jeff Duke in this one but as I get to know your music and sense of sound more James clearly you. – Jim. Another beautiful effort by James. The wavy texture suits the title well. Has a sort of felling of regret to it – like the slipping away of summer. – Paul.

Surrounders (feat. Steve Layton, remix) – Acquires a stronger, more assertive feel via amplification. The lower tones are helpfully more audible. A dramatic feel at 2:30. An increase in intensity makes this the definitive version and very likable. – Paul.

Norbert OldaniWorkers Repairing a Driveway– Environmental capturing from the car port. Imagining something on the list to get done now for years and finally getting to bring in a crew. – Jim. The low humming is suggestive of heavy equipment – maybe a backhoe repairing a driveway? – Paul.

Lake Pleasant in the Adirondacks – Sound in nature, just about paradise on this one I suspect, feeling of the title, fall by the lake in the Northeastern mountain range. Wondering if we are in a boat or by the bank and suspect the latter as just heard a car pass by. Birds fly by, peaceful, serenity up there in them hills… – Jim.

Space Drone Mash 1 – Wide variety of textures here – a high-pitched buzzing combined with lower groaning sounds. Like the woods at night with hyperactive insects. – Paul. Bees… well gives that feeling, we’re at the center of the hive, where is the queen, where is the queen… – Jim.

Space Drone Mash 2 – Noise floor star date 2012, Captain’s log March 1st… ambiance of a pre-launch, days of NASA, days of the space race or are we in flight, are we in the galaxy of Alexis 42. Fluid and adrift. – Jim.

David John Baer McNicholasNew Splice – Some frightening opening lyrics followed by some strong strumming. Very nice picking at 2:00. – Paul.

Dick Soakin – Love this and the opening establishing of the ‘tuning’. The sense of ‘tonality’ and ‘non-tonality’ and the percussive strumming bent and later the linear picking-strumming. Good energy throughout. – Jim.

Steve MoyesWooly Something – Featuring David Perreko and Steve Moyes (contributing artist/mixer/masher) – A clatter of machinery sounds as if it is accompanied by percussion – very impressive combination. We must be in the Wool Museum. The clanging of the tank produces some cool overtones and echoes. Must be the watermill sounds at about 4:00 – very liquidy. – Paul. Much like a printing press then goes kind of Asian tonality and then well David followed by the rhythm of the industrial age and the whir of motors working. Can’t help think of influence from Roger here. – Jim.

Chris VaisvilPut the Pump In – Filler up! Ambiance of things here from gas station to machine room to backdrop to a store or casino. Many images… – Jim. The sounds of happy workers – steam cleaning? A problem with the pump? At the cash register… money changes hands. – Paul.

PIN Pad – Wow I’ve been there so many times. Auto-checkout at Key Food! The rich part is this one seems to work, how lucky you are. – Jim.

HemiFamity27 Improvisation – more introspective piano much like drilling into the rock, seeing what’s behind the years of slate and hardened clay. Nice color in the linear lines and occasional chordal dissonance. – Jim.

The Public Humiliation of Bacon – Well… sounds like field recordings, still at the grocery or butcher and inspired Wagnerian synth sounds in the area. – Jim.

A Gun to My Balls – Well something is in pain here amongst the growing pulsing foundation, sounds like a big bear but human early on. Could be a chainsaw at work but I think it’s a bear perhaps from his winter nap. Okay I’m digressing. Floating through are growing electronica sounds, all quieting down to a subtle wash. – Jim.

My Crazy Aunt Sophie – Striking the balance between I gather the slightly clumsy spirit of years of social piano and brilliance reminding me of the French modernist composer often thought to be of modern serious crossing to ‘jazz’, escapes me but much spirit in this piece Chris. – Jim.

Paul MullerWomtook Pulse – Featuring Steve Layton, Bruce Hamilton and Paul Muller (contributing artist/mixer/masher) – Nice venture into mashing Paul. Like the wah wahish flanging going on around the keyboard color and the morphing in the keyboard. Good one Paul. – Jim.

Shane W. CadmanPiece091610 – Quiet piano notes with echo produces a sense of restfulness and serenity. Beautiful. – Paul. Shane you continue to evolve as you should. Tremendous space in the tones with much patience on the decay. You and Peter both this week delivering lovely time at the keys. – Jim.

Piece091610_Reverse – Excellent! My favorite thing to do. Nothing like the sound of the reverse envelope and this one no less. – Jim.

Steve LaytonQuiet Pulses – So this is where the wah wah keys came from in Paul’s mash. It’s neat to listen to the parts after hearing the combined when you I don’t necessarily know who did what. This sounds like some of your LA trip last month influenced you in this piece Steve, has that ‘Law & Order’ feel. Sense of beat in the flange is cool. – Jim.

Two Fields – Featuring Norbert Oldani, Roger Sundström, Shane Cadman and Steve Layton (contributing artist/mixer/masher) – Quiet Pulses continues as a subtle underscore to the ‘white’ noise and chime like color of this piece. Very silvery in color. – Jim.

Determined – Featuring Paul Muller, Kavin Allenson, Roger Sundström, Lee Noyes and Steve Layton (contributing artist/mixer/masher) – Great mash! Love the opening organ of Paul Hertz who has been a recurring voice this weekend. As this one grows it’s like the anthem for our time in a way, really great. Ends with nice western motif acoustic tones. – Jim.

Vista – Featuring Jeff Duke, Roger Sundström, Jukka-Pekka Kervinen x 2, Tom Izzo and Steve Layton (contributing artist/mixer/masher) – The secret life of plants and not to take from Stevie but that’s what this track is saying to me. Seeing things growing, creeping up as if blades from the soil. – Jim.

Few Aware – Wow! Some of your best ‘colour’ yet Jukka. This seems a departure or evolving or just exploring. Nice fluid slow motion, maybe even half speed. Very rich and nice surprise. – Jim.

Either Rite – A mix of worlds in this one from your palettes, some pulses and beeps and some as above, liquidity. Like the more tubular sounds. – Jim.

Greetings by Adam Kondor

Adam KondorHighway Mirages – Featuring Charles A. Turner, Roger “ErocNet” Sundström, Jeff Fairbanks, Paul Hertz, James Ross, Michael Mjollnir, Jukka-Pekka Kervinen2x and Adam Kondor (contributing artist/mixer/masher) – Two times running errands and listening to the thread pieces, when this one came on and I heard the ‘coin drop’ effect I turned to see what I had dropped! Very real. Like this a lot, wonderful ambiance in the mash and the lyrical guitar lead mid way is quite moving. – Jim.

Droplets – In Memoriam Caterina Boratto – Featuring Norbert Oldani, Bruce Hamilton, Lee Noyes and Adam Kondor (contributing artist/mixer/masher) – Wading, moving through early morning waters, near the canals in Venice. Sounds from the window, chimes and near by musical tones float through the air. Over 50 films, quite a life… – Jim.

Gradus Ad Parnassum – Based on a Chord by Lee Noyes – Fine use of Lee’s chord through repetition. A sense of unfinished business here. – Paul. Neat evolution of ‘the lost chord’. – Jim.

Some Dadas for Peter – Featuring Benjamin Smith, Adam Kondor, Jean Arp, Jukka-Pekka Kervinen and Adam Kondor (contributing artist/mixer/masher) – Continued evolution of ‘the lost chord’ with electric keys and tones rising. Voices of the dadaism – “a nihilistic art movement (especially in painting) that flourished in Europe early in the 20th century; based on irrationality and negation of the accepted laws of beauty.” – Jim.

Lions In the City – Featuring JC Combs, Tom Izzo, Benjamin Smith, James Ross, Shane Cadman, Ken Palmer, Jukka-Pekka Kervinen, Bruce Hamilton and Adam Kondor (contributing artist/mixer/masher) – Return of J.C. obsessed opening the gates to the city. Excellent mix of ambient and electronics develops light on the top and darker acoustic keys down below as in the oceanic floor in a sense. – Jim.

Lee NoyesGradus Ad Parnassum – A single guitar chord. Do not adjust your computer…. A series of squeaks and whistles as if there is loose wire.. Now a series of chords from the guitar. A certain feeling of anticipation from this piece. – Paul. Single chord manipulation by the lone piper Mr. Lee. Really interesting electronic colours all around it as the piece develops. Like the horn like burst near end. – Jim.

Peter Thörn & Roger "ErocNet" Sundström by Paul Muller

Roger “ErocNet” SundströmGhost Bells – Bell tones that are… ghostly. The tones shimmer and remind me of wind chimes – very pleasing. – Paul. A feeling of ‘rubbed’ water glasses in mass generating the ringing bells, like floating through a cavern or chamber at first delicate and then later like a chainsaw forging the path through the uncharted. – Jim.

Space Reverie – A kind of ‘Geiger’ counter effect opens this piece that reminds me of a sound Lee had a while back. Evolves to more electronica even a bit sounding like the water-glass described on another track this thread and then decays. Maybe its radio telegraphy of distant galaxies and passing through one dimension to another. – Jim.

Reverie – The ‘gating’ on the opening of this one is interesting, kind of like drawing chalk marks on the pavement, there then the wind gradually blows away as if fading into the next passage. The effect continues into kind of ‘dub’ version to my ears of the early Star Trek like theme but maybe that’s too vivid of an imagination regardless a cool piece. – Jim.

Paratectonic – Featuring Peter Thörn, Lee Noyes, Bruce Hamilton,Tom Izzo and Roger “ErocNet” Sundström (contributing artist/mixer/masher) – Rubbery slightly fretless keyboard sound surrounded by quasar like silvery bursts as if in a carnival going through the hall of mirrors. Evolves to more metallic sounds with more mystery as if digging in the dusk of the desert seeking the latter days of the gold rush. – Jim.

Untitled by Kavin Allenson

Kavin AllensonOur Lady of Perpetual Sublimation – Wow, a completely new sound from Kavin this week at the start of this piece. By :40 we are back in familiar territory – some lovely playing here. – Paul. Acoustic intricacy echoing so many influences that I hear in the last couple of generations of guitar players including myself. Well done Kavin and the enhancement of the electric parts particularly near end is really nice. – Jim.

Benjamin SmithBen.improv.Sep.17.2010 – Playful notes tiptoe in to the room. Light and breezy feel to this. Some seriously good keyboard playing. – Paul. Vibe patch and accuracy in keyboard skills pouring down like silver in this one Ben. Cool accented part @1:56. Ending section develops like hands everywhere. Good chops. – Jim.

And as normal with each edition here are the tracks Paul and I each contributed to the thread that weekend.

Remember to check out the ImprovFriday Radio podcast series published monthly by Paul and myself. The series is available on Podomatic at http://improvfridayradio.podomatic.com. You may also find us in iTunes, just search ImprovFriday Radio and click subscribe!

We would also like to invite you to learn more about the ImprovFriday community by visiting us on the Ning network at http://improvfriday.ning.com. So Paul and I will see you next time for another round of reviews and news from the ImprovFriday event thread for September 23 – 25. Stay tuned soon.